Articles by Dana Omirgazy 

ASTANA – Wabtec, a global leader in locomotive manufacturing, confirmed plans to launch production of new diesel engines at the Astana Diesel Service plant in 2026 – the first engine production outside the United States. For Kazakhstan, this marks a milestone in boosting localization and strengthening the country’s technological independence. The announcement followed a working…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev began his working visit to New York with a series of high-level meetings on Sept. 21. With Cameco Corporation CEO Tim Gitzel, President Tokayev discussed prospects for cooperation in the uranium sector. Tokayev noted Cameco’s role as a long-standing partner of Kazatomprom national atomic company with over $500 million invested…

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights religion’s role in diplomacy, Kazakhstan’s emerging food diplomacy and more. Faith must reclaim its place in diplomacy Eureporter released an article on Sept. 15 written by Maulen Ashimbayev, chairman of Kazakhstan’s Senate and head of…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan expressed support for Qatar and its commitment to peaceful conflict resolution. Chairman of the Mazhilis Yerlan Koshanov represented the country at the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha on behalf of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on Sept. 15. Speaking at the plenary session, Koshanov condemned Israel’s recent military actions against Qatar, stressing that such…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to grow its network of protected lands from 30.9 million hectares today to 34 million hectares by 2035, setting a new regional benchmark in biodiversity conservation under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The milestone was highlighted at the final seminar of the SPACES Kazakhstan project, held in cooperation with the Ministry…

ASTANA – The Mangystau Region is set to become a major transport and logistics hub with the launch of a $1 billion aviation and logistics center at Aktau International Airport. The announcement was made during an extended regional meeting chaired by Nurdaulet Kilybay, akim (mayor) of the Mangystau Region, focusing on the implementation of President…

ASTANA — According to the latest report from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Kazakhstan has secured the 34th position in the global competitiveness ranking among 69 countries. Kazakhstan advanced by one position compared to last year and is now ranked ahead of Japan (35th), Kuwait, Portugal, Latvia, Spain, and India. The country’s economy…

ASTANA – Rising Kazakh tennis star Zangar Nurlanuly has made a major breakthrough in the updated International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings, climbing 29 spots to reach 25th place. This year, the 17-year-old Nurlanuly reached the semi-finals of the US Open Junior Championships. Other Kazakhstan’s juniors also showed good results: Amir Omarkhanov retained his 28th…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Passenger Transportation company has organized the operation of a special musical train for the Voice Beyond Horizon international project. Seven passenger carriages and one restaurant carriage were allocated for filming, accommodating around 150 artists and international guests. On Sept. 8, the train embarked on an 18-day journey along the Turkistan – Aktau…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has issued its first 10-year residence permit under the Digital Nomad Residency program. The recipient is Pavel Filatov, a senior analytics & BI engineer with international experience, who chose Kazakhstan as his home and place of professional growth. Launched in January at the instruction of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the program has established…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Pakistan have agreed to advance cooperation across key sectors, setting a goal of increasing bilateral trade turnover to $1 billion in the coming years. The commitment was confirmed during the meeting between Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Sept. 9…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka celebrated a milestone as it welcomed its one millionth visitor, Kosuke Hasegawa from Amagasaki city, Japan. To mark the occasion, Hasegawa received a special prize package, including a business-class ticket on Air Astana’s upcoming direct flight between Japan and Kazakhstan, set to launch in…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed holding a national referendum in 2027 on transitioning Kazakhstan to a unicameral parliament, which would abolish the Senate, the legislature’s upper chamber.  He stressed that such a reform would mark a new stage in the country’s political transformation and must be carried out only with the full consent…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that Kazakhstan will significantly expand the use of artificial intelligence in satellite monitoring of agricultural land, stressing that digital technologies must play a central role in managing the country’s most strategic resource. Speaking in his state-of-the-nation address on Sept. 8, Tokayev said that space monitoring and geoanalytics are already…

ASTANA — The Mazhilis, lower house of the Kazakh Parliament, has ratified an agreement between Kazakhstan and Armenia that abolishes the mutual visa regime and allows citizens to travel using national ID cards. The document, signed last year in Yerevan, also regulates cooperation in the field of migration. Kazakh citizens may now enter Armenia with…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the opening ceremony of the Cultural Center of Kazakhstan in Beijing on Sept. 2, describing the event as a milestone in the spiritual life of both Kazakh and Chinese peoples. “This is a historic event reflecting the genuine respect of the Kazakh people for the Chinese people…

ASTANA — Almaty expects up to 5,000 tourists for the historic football match between Kazakhstan’s FC Kairat and Spain’s Real Madrid, scheduled for Sept. 30 at the Central Stadium. The event is set to become one of the largest in the country’s sporting calendar. According to Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabossynov, Kazakhstan’s infrastructure…

ASTANA — China Daily, a leading English-language Chinese newspaper, published an article by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Aug. 30 titled Strong Kazakh-Sino ties key to successful cooperation.  In his article, President Tokayev emphasizes that Kazakhstan-China relations are “deeply rooted in centuries of neighborly ties, consistently marked by mutual trust, support, and understanding.” He highlights that…

ASTANA — President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan held talks on Aug. 27 in the Kazakh capital, reaffirming their commitment to deepening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation. During the meeting, President Tokayev expressed gratitude to King Abdullah II for accepting the invitation to visit Kazakhstan and highlighted…

ASTANA — The first meeting of special representatives of the Central Asian countries on Afghanistan was held with the participation of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on Aug. 26 in Tashkent.  The officials noted the relevance and timeliness of establishing a contact group of special representatives on Afghanistan as an independent regional platform…

ASTANA – Students from the Polytechnic College in Balkhash have brought their award-winning eco-initiative to life by installing benches and solar-powered street lamps made from recycled plastic on their campus grounds. The eco-project was developed by students Aida Mukhanova and Tolganai Zholdybai, under the guidance of their history teacher, Gulzada Shaizhanova. Their innovative idea combines…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have officially commenced the active phase of a telecommunications project to lay the first-ever underwater fiber optic cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea. The initiative will link the Kazakh port city of Aktau with the Azerbaijani city of Sumqayit via an underwater cable system, enhancing digital connectivity between…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for enhanced international partnerships, regional connectivity, and inclusive development to overcome the challenges faced by landlocked nations during his address at the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries on Aug. 5 in Awaza, Turkmenistan. Tokayev thanked the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov for the initiative to convene…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has reported positive trends in maternal and child health in 2024, with maternal mortality decreasing by 12% and infant mortality by 11%. In January-June, maternal mortality dropped by 10% and infant mortality by 26%, said Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova during an Aug. 5 government meeting. To improve access and quality of care…

ASTANA –  Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunayGas (KMG) has exported its first oil batch worth 85,000 tons to a Hungarian refinery as part of the strategic expansion of cooperation between KMG and Hungary’s MOL Group. The shipment was transported by sea from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to the Croatian port of Omišalj…